


Learn to Trust Again

by spacedaydreamer



Category: Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Non-Graphic Violence, emotional/psychological abuse tw, still in twin princes au world it's all coming together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-19 22:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 20,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20664473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacedaydreamer/pseuds/spacedaydreamer
Summary: Despite the hard-earned peace between the kingdoms of Wind and Rhythm, all was still not right with the world. The threat of the demon king still loomed over the kingdoms, and his seal only grew weaker as the years passed by... soon, his resurrection would become inevitable. However, would that bring certain destruction? Or would fate allow for a different answer, something that could instead bring hope?





	1. Quiet

For as long as Vaati could remember, he’d been within the castle.

He had never questioned why he had to stay there. His father had told him it was what he needed to do, so it’s what he’d done- his father was the _king_ after all, so it only made sense to listen to him.

And yet… he couldn’t help but think it was unfair. Nobody else seemed to have to stay put, everyone who worked there could come and go as they pleased. Why shouldn’t he be allowed to? Why _wasn’t_ he allowed to? Perhaps because of his youth, it all seemed quite silly… so one day he’d decided to attempt to sneak out.

It had only been for a moment. He hadn’t meant to harm anyone. He hadn’t meant to scare anyone. _He hadn’t meant to do something wrong_. But before he could even think about what this small taste of freedom meant, he’d been spotted by the royal guard and quickly dragged back inside.

“Vaati, what were you _thinking?_” His father had been waiting for him, the look on his face enough to make the boy attempt to take a step back, only to bump into the guard still behind him. “I have _told_ you to stay inside. And yet, you disobey me- _stupid child_, can you not listen?”

“I-I… I’m sorry, father… I just… don’t get why I’m the only one who needs to stay in…”

The king only seemed to be further angered by Vaati’s words, the calmness of the expression on his face not matching the look in his eyes.

“I shouldn’t _need_ to tell you a reason. If I tell you to do something, you _do_ it. I am the king of this country, do you _understand _that?”

“Y-Yes… I do…”

“Good.” After a few moments the king turned his back, voice cold. “Now, guards, escort prince Vaati to his room. There he will _stay_ until further notice.”

He offered no resistance on being led back to his room- not that resisting would’ve _done_ anything. He’d just turned six a short while ago, he knew enough to know that he’d never be able to win against them. The guards were all far bigger and stronger than a mere child like him, it would be no contest.

His room was large, but it always felt so… lonely. Quiet. Vaati liked going to other places in the castle, often just to observe- he’d stay out of the way the best he could, just watching people go about their business… it was better than waiting alone. But as things were now, he figured he’d be here a while… that’s what he got for doing something stupid, he supposed.

Later that evening, his father entered the room. It was clear by how he held himself that he was still angry, and Vaati wasn’t sure what to do about that- he didn’t _want_ to make his father mad.

“Father, I… I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to do something bad…”

“Vaati, you wish to know why you _can’t_ leave?”

“Yes, I do.”

“It is because you are a _monster_.”

The words were said so casually, but Vaati felt his heart stop for a moment. He was… what? What did his father mean by that? He didn’t understand what he was supposed to do about it either, aside from stand in slight shock.

“I-I’m a… a monster…?”

“Yes. In our blood is the blood of a demon. And you, _Vaati,_ are a perfect little monster who was born to resurrect him. So in order to _prevent_ that, you are not to leave the palace. _Now_ do you understand?”

“Wh-What…. I-I’m… n-no, I don’t… I don’t want…”

“It doesn’t matter what you _want_, Vaati. It’s what you _are_.”

He found himself trembling, trying to deal with what he’d just been told. He was… he was a monster. Someone who could resurrect a demon. Horrible, so horrible… he didn’t want that at all!

“I… I won’t let that happen, father, I promise. I won’t…”

“Like I could really _trust _you. I certainly can’t, not after _today_\- you are not to step _foot_ outside of this room without proper permission. And whenever you _do_ move about the palace, you _will _be accompanied by a guard. Understood?”

“…understood, father…”

He didn’t understand, not at all. He didn’t know how staying in his room would help things, he didn’t know _anything_ about what this ‘demon’ that he was supposed to resurrect was, and he didn’t know what else he could possibly do to stop that from being a worry. It was so clear that his father didn’t want that outcome, after all… but it sounded so… _inevitable_.

* * *

At first, Vaati had hoped that his punishment would just be a short term thing, and that he could go back to the usual soon enough. But it was clear that wasn’t going to be the case after a month had passed… he was just glad his room was large enough for him to walk about, and he could at least ask for things to keep him occupied. Any lessons he had were changed to take place within his room… he hardly left anymore, except for when he was required to leave. But he wasn’t even old enough to attend any public formal events, so even on that front there was hardly reason for him to be called from his room.

However, he wouldn’t complain about it. He was still plenty fine, even if he found himself bored at many points- he had plenty of books to learn how to read, and plenty of things to learn in preparation for his future. He was still young, he had _time_… but it was something to do.

And even if he hadn’t had those things, he’d known better than to try asking his father to change his mind. He was… scared of how he’d respond.

With the exception of the tutors who were required to speak to him, just about the only person that he’d talk to was a member of the royal guard, a man named Zephyr. He was fairly young for a guard, he’d just recently been knighted- and as a result, he’d often get stuck with guarding his room. The king didn’t much care where the guards stood, so long as they ensured Vaati didn’t leave… so Zephyr had taken that as a loophole to mean he could stay _in_ Vaati’s room, giving him just about the only real company he got.

“Have you been outside the castle before?”

“Er…. Yes, young master.”

“What’s it like?”

“Well, there’s a lot of different places… what do you want to know about?”

It was hard to imagine what those places might be like, and he really didn’t know what to expect. Books would talk about cities and forests and things like those, though… so he figured that would be a good place to start.

“The castle town. I wanna know about it.”

“Oh, well that’s easy enough, I suppose.” Zephyr crossed his arms, taking a moment to think. “There’s a lot of houses, and a lot of shops. There’s a ton of people, too- far more than there is in the castle.”

“…really? Even more than here?”

“Yes, far more. It’s always filled with new sounds and smells, people are making things to buy and sell… it’s a very busy place.”

“Oh… I’m not a fan of busy things, I think.”

Though he supposed he couldn’t say for certain- after all, he’d never been to a busy place before. All he knew was the palace, which seemed busy enough for him.

Their conversations were often short and simple like this- though Vaati did appreciate the talks, he didn’t often have much on his mind to talk about. Things would often trail off into silence as the prince wandered off to do something else… usually picking up a book, and only speaking up more if he needed help with a word or phrase he didn’t understand.

It was quiet, and the days were still slow… but it was better than nothing. And, at the very least, he wasn’t completely alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's already time for the next fic in this little series! As always, I want to give the hugest shoutout to luckystarman for helping me write this fic- this whole AU wouldn't exist without her. 
> 
> Looking at my word doc, this is set to be the longest fic in the AU so far- it's one that I am hugely excited to see finally posted, and I hope you're all excited to read it as well! Thank you so much for checking out my work, and I hope you enjoy!


	2. We're... friends?

Weeks turned to months, and those eventually turned to years. Being confined to his room a majority of the time made his world feel so small… even with his magic allowing him to hear far beyond the castle walls, everything still felt _claustrophobic._ He’d grown to resent his captivity, and began to resent his father for it- but that anger would change nothing. Nothing at all.

So instead, he did his best to let those feelings pass. They weren’t going to be any help, he knew that. So would it not be better to focus on what _could_ be helpful? Learning the laws of the kingdom, all of the basic things he was _supposed_ to know… his father didn’t like spending time around him and refused to directly teach him anything, but he could at least learn things from books.

Not to mention, there was his magic. Supposedly, it was a gift he shared with those who’d held his name previously- the manipulation of the wind. He’d spend many long hours on his balcony experimenting with what he could do… he was grateful nobody seemed to care. After all, it was a useful thing to know, right? The better control he had of his magic, the better control he’d have of himself. At least that was the excuse he’d give, for spending sometimes _hours_ at a time alone outside like that.

A couple of years had passed since his house arrest had started, and he was listening in on the marketplace. Despite how he imagined he’d dislike being there in person, it was fun to listen to when he didn’t have to be there… all of the conversations between people made him a little bit… envious. He wished he could take part, but he didn’t dare intrude.

After all, he didn’t wish to risk his father taking his _balcony_ from him, too.

It was on a bright day that he’d been paying attention to something that sounded a bit different- a carriage. It was taking a different path than most, headed more for the castle… were they visitors, perhaps? He didn’t know whether or not they got many visitors- he wasn’t allowed to meet any. But he doubted many people would _want_ to come here… the castle seemed so dreary to him.

“I’m gonna hop off here!”

“Octavo, _wait—”_

“Seeya later, mom!”

The argument between the riders seemed cut short as the younger voice left, Vaati now _immensely_ curious about who this could be. The person was moving rather loudly through the gardens… only stopping after a good few minutes, panting.

“Who… are you?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking, hoping the wind would carry his voice. After all, it wasn’t far… and he’d heard the past prince Vaati had spoken to people from across the _world_. Probably embellished, but wouldn’t that be nice? “What are you doing here?”

“H-Huh?”

“Who are you?”

“U-Uh… I’m… Octavo? From the kingdom of Rhythm?”

“Oh… interesting. Are you… visiting, then?”

“Yeah! Me and my mom.”

“Wow…” he knew that they had to be the royal family- after all, only those related to the slain prince or the demon king were able to cross the barrier, that still hadn’t been lowered after all these years of peace between their kingdoms. “Welcome, then.”

“Thanks, wind!”

“I-I… I am not the wind.”

“Huh? Then who are you?”

“I am prince Vaati.”

“Cool! Then I’ll get to meet you later, when I get to see the king—”

“I… doubt it.” Vaati’s voice had gotten quieter, his heart sinking. “I don’t leave my room.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“Because, it’s… it’s a law. I can’t leave. For the safety of my people.”

“…well _that’s_ a stupid law.” The bluntness to how Octavo spoke was almost refreshing, and Vaati couldn’t help but be curious. What sort of person _was_ this kid? “If rules aren’t helping people, then they’re meant to be broken. That’s a _really_ dumb rule.”

“I-It’s not… it’s not that simple. I can’t just break it.”

“But, wouldn’t that get lonely? I mean, if you can’t leave…”

“I have people to speak with. I’m fine.”

“But… but I really wanna meet you now!”

Before he’d even realized it, Vaati could see Octavo moving around the corner- it was very clearly him, because he was looking about and speaking, that voice still carrying up to Vaati. He seemed to guess that the boy on the balcony had to be the one he was speaking to… and with a lack of hesitation that made Vaati do a double-take in shock, he started scaling the wall as if he were some sort of spider.

“Wh-What are you—_what?!_”

Vaati was left completely dumbfounded and in shock as Octavo hopped over the railing and onto the balcony, eyes wide and barely even breathing hard. No, he looked as if that’d just been a casual thing to do for _fun_\- the _hell?!_

“Eh, that was easy! The cavern walls back home are _way_ harder to climb.”

“Y-You just—what if you’d fallen?!”

“Oh… well, I didn’t! Besides, a little fall won’t hurt too much.”

“You’d _die_ from that height!”

“Details aren’t important. Anyways, hi! I’m Octavo!”

He just stuck his hand out, completely tossing away any hope at pressing the matter Vaati might’ve had. No, he was just expecting a handshake… and Vaati had no real choice but to give it to him, sighing and confused.

“I’m… I am Vaati. But, you really shouldn’t be up here… if anyone finds you, you’ll get in a _lot_ of trouble.”

“Huh? Why, though?”

“Only certain people are allowed to see me. It’s to… to limit the potential of the curse.”

“Curse?”

“It’s not important. It doesn’t matter, just- just don’t worry about that. Oh, but… I can’t just make you climb down…”

“Don’t worry, going down is always easier. But I wanna hang out for a bit!”

“….‘Hang out’?”

“Yeah, like.. play! Get to know each other! Do friend stuff!”

“Friend stuff…” Vaati paused, biting at his lip. Well… his father was certain to be busy, and he never checked in on him anyways. So surely, this would be fine. “I… I suppose.”

“Cool! Well then: I’m Octavo, I’m eight, and I…. I like climbing stuff! Now tell me about you.”

“I’m Vaati, I’m… also eight years old. I suppose… I read a lot?”

“That’s neat! Now let’s play a game.”

“I don’t… really know any games…”

“Huh… really, nothing?”

“No… I don’t really have anyone to play with.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Octavo frowned, folding his arms. “Well then, let’s just talk. I wanna pass the time before I go back to see mom again.”

“Okay. We can do that.”

* * *

When time finally came for Octavo to leave again, Vaati was… honestly quite sad to see him go. It was the first time he’d really had a chance to speak so much in his entire _life_\- the prince had never-ending questions, which had honestly been pretty interesting to try and answer. Not that he felt he could do _much_ to answer them, mind you… but it was still nice. And a good change of pace for someone as bored as he was.

But nothing could last forever, and he did indeed have to say goodbye. It was shortly after that when Zephyr entered his room, standing quietly at the door, as usual.

“Did you have a good time, young master?”

“H-Huh? What are you talking about?”

“With your new friend.”

“I-I— I don’t know what you mean.” Zephyr only gave a knowing look, and Vaati could feel his ears heat up in shame at giving such a weak lie. “Were we… that loud?”

“Yes. But do not worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. After all, you never left your room, so there’s nothing to report.”

“Zephyr… thank you.”

“You needn’t thank me, young master. I do not think there is anything wrong or unnatural for one at your age to desire friends… it is just the king who disagrees.”

“My father… why… why does he hate me?”

Vaati’s voice was soft, his eyes falling to the floor. He knew that was the truth of it- for as much as they both would lie to themselves and put on airs, the truth was simple: his father hated him, and wanted nothing to do with him. That was the _real_ reason he was under this house arrest, but he ignored it as much as he possibly could.

After all, admitting to it meant admitting he knew his father hated him just for being born.

“Vaati… it is not your fault. Please… do not blame yourself for his faults.”

“Would he have loved me if I was someone else? If he’d had a different child instead of me?”

“That is not a fair question to ask yourself. It is _not your fault_, my prince. You should not blame yourself for his actions.”

“I know… I know.”

Really, what good would complaining as he was now do about any of this? None. It would only serve to further upset him, and that wasn’t what he needed at the moment. If he just avoided his father, then he wouldn’t have to deal with any of this- things would be fine. A little lonely, a little sad, but he could deal with that. He was used to that.

Everything would be fine.


	3. Still time to learn

Though they hadn’t been able to meet in person again, Vaati had still been able to talk with Octavo. His friend often came up to the surface, which meant they could at least speak on the wind on occasion. Of course, Vaati was careful to hide these conversations the best he could- he didn’t want to risk getting him _or_ Octavo in trouble.

But they were still enough to help pass the time when they happened, the days seeming a little brighter than they had before. He was a little less alone- between Octavo and Zephyr, he at least had _friends_… or rather, people he wished he could call friends. It was still far too much to say they actually _were_ friends, in his mind- after all, it was hard to imagine someone would _genuinely_ want to befriend a monster like him.

It was strange how Octavo would insist otherwise, when he mentioned that- how he’d _argue_ with Vaati, as if he could know better than _Vaati_ did about what he was. Usually, he’d just let it drop or change the subject. But it bothered him, in all honesty- he knew he was a monster. He knew he was cursed. That was why he had to be in his room, that was why his father hated him. His birth was a sin… no amount of Octavo insisting on his pretty words would change that fact.

It made him mad, to some degree- made him _angry_ that Octavo would seek to argue him about his own life. But he knew that Octavo didn’t _realize_ what he was doing… in his mind, he was probably doing something good. So Vaati didn’t blame him for that, and just tried to avoid the topic the best he could.

“What’s it like today, ‘Tavo? Tell me what it looks like where you are.”

“It’s kinda cloudy right now. The sky is pretty dark and grey… it looks like it might start to rain soon.”

“Oh? Maybe you should go back home, then…”

“No way! I like the rain- we don’t get it where I’m from. I think it’s neat!”

“Fair enough…” Smiling, Vaati just nodded to himself. “It’s not as bad here. There’s some clouds, but it doesn’t look like it’ll storm any time soon.”

“Huh… weird, isn’t it?”

“I mean, not really. We’re in different parts of the country… different weather can happen in different places.”

“O-Oh, uh… yeah. Right. I always forget about that…”

Octavo trailed off, and Vaati felt a bit bad for how casually he’d said that, as if it should be obvious. Perhaps it just _wasn’t-_ Octavo’s kingdom was underground, after all. When you didn't have weather, things that made sense about the weather must not've been commonplace.

“Still… I wish I could visit where you are, Octavo.”

“Yeah… hey.. why don’t you?”

“Wh-What are you _saying?_ I can’t go- not only is it _illegal_, but I’d never even be able to leave my room… I’d get caught immediately.”

“Well then, just go the other way! Don’t use your door.”

“I-I’m not like you! I can’t just climb the walls like that!”

“How about your magic? What about teleporting! Oh, that’d be _so_ cool!”

“I… I don’t know, I… I’ve never tried.”

“Well, why not try it now? Just do it inside your room, or something. See if you can!”

He wasn’t sure how he _should_ respond to the encouragement, but in the end, his only response was to sigh, and nod. He didn’t have the slightest clue how to do this, or even if he _could_ do this… closing his eyes, he pictured the inside of his room. He thought about it long and hard, he willed himself to be there, he imagined the wind drawing him there… and when he opened his eyes, he was inside.

Oh?

_Oh!_

Rushing back outside, Vaati could barely keep his voice under control. He didn’t want anyone to hear him… but this was _perfect_ news! Just _perfect!_

“Octavo! Octavo, I can do it!”

“Wait, _seriously?_”

“Yeah! It worked!!”

“Awesome- why don’t you come here, then?”

“It’s a little too late, now… why not tomorrow?”

“No good, mom’ll be really mad if I’m out two days in a row…”

“Oh… then, a week from now! We can talk again then!”

“Okay, that sounds good! Where do you wanna go?”

“I… I want to see a town.”

“Gotcha! There’s one not too far from this entrance, so we’ll go there. See ya then, Vivi!”

“Bye, ‘Tavo. I’ll look forwards to it.”


	4. For just one day

Perhaps this was stupid. Perhaps it was dangerous. He didn’t know if he’d be able to make it back home, or even if he’d be able to make it all the way _there_\- but… honestly? If he ended up stranded, he wouldn’t mind. Maybe it would be better to just run away and never go home… not that he could ever ask for that. It would be too much on Octavo’s shoulders, to help him with something like that… and he didn’t want to cause strife between their kingdoms. No, he knew he’d have to go home.

However, in the moment, none of that mattered. When he teleported to Octavo’s location, all that mattered was that today was going to be _fun_\- it wasn’t like anybody would notice he was missing. He knew he didn’t have anything planned for today.

“Vivi! You’re here! You’re really here!”

“I… I am. I am!”

“Yeah, you are!”

Both boys celebrated with a hug, Vaati unable to hide a smile. The teleportation had been disorienting and had definitely taken a lot out of him… but he hardly even cared. He was out! He could do whatever he wanted now!

“So, Vivi. What do you wanna do, now that you’re free?”

“I wanna see that town! I’ve never gotten to see one before!”

“Alright then! Off we go!”

He knew from his readings that the town they were in was more of a village- it was a very small place, and hardly busy at all. Not in the sense he’d always gotten from the castle town… but it was nice here. There were a handful of shops, and the people seemed really nice to Octavo- apparently, he’d been here more than once before. Which hardly surprised Vaati, given how his friend liked to wander.

“Where first?”

“Uhm…. I… I don’t really know what there is here…”

“Then, the bakery! There’s a _ton_ of delicious food.”

“Okay…”

Vaati followed where his friend dragged him, quickly finding himself able to forget about the risk of what he was doing, and instead enjoy himself fully. Sure, he had to keep his head covered by a cloak, but that was no real issue.

From there, they visited all of the stores in the town. Octavo was bright and cheery, greeting everyone… though he felt bad doing it, it was easy to fib about who he was. And even in spite of that, everyone was nice to him, as well… to think, how quickly they’d turn on him if they were to learn who he _really_ was. How they'd cast him aside, chase him away, just for being _born..._

Those thoughts managed to kill his good mood quickly, so he tried to push them aside.

And he managed to succeed in that endeavor fairly well for the rest of the day, allowing himself to just think about the happier things. If Octavo had noticed the drop in his mood, he hadn’t let on- the two of them continued to play, running about as children should.

It was later on in the day when they finally left the town, heading back towards the entrance to the underground. Vaati couldn’t help but stare longingly… he wished he could stay forever, honestly. He _really_ didn’t want to go back home, but he had no other choice.

“I can’t believe the day’s already over…” Octavo was staring up at the sky, squinting in the light. “It went by so fast. That sucks…”

“It _was_ fast… but it was a lot of fun.”

“Absolutely! We should do this again!”

“I mean… I can’t promise that, Octavo. I… I’m really not supposed to leave the palace.”

“Yeah, I guess… I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

“It’s not that. It’s… I don’t want to scare my people, if they were to realize what I was doing. I’m a monster, after all.”

“This _again?_ No, Vivi- you aren’t a monster.”

“Octavo…” he just sighed. He could expect that response, but it was still frustrating. “Regardless, though… thank you, Octavo.”

“Hmm? No problem!”

“Really… _thank you_. I’ll never forget this for as long as I live, I promise.”

“I won’t either!”

“Then… this’ll stay our secret. Our day together.”

“Yeah.”

And even when he went back home, _nobody_ could take that from him.


	5. Let it fracture, watch me break

Teleporting back to his room at the palace took a lot of energy from him- he’d spent all day running about, and hadn’t really had much rest to recharge himself. But still, he’d done it… only to find a royal guard standing within his room.

At first, he thought it was Zephyr- but immediately he realized he’d made a mistake, and something was very, _very_ wrong. None of the other guards would ever stand in his room, and it was clear by the look on his face that the guard was less than pleased… all his energy drained from him as he looked up, trying to act confident still.

“D-Did you… need something from me?”

“His majesty wishes to have _word_ with you, young master.”

“M-My.. f-father does?”

“Yes. I will go and get him now.”

“O-Okay…”

It was a shame that he no longer had the energy to teleport, because if he had, he would’ve. He didn’t know how or why his father had found out that he was missing, but did it _matter?_ All that mattered was his father knew he’d left.

The wait for his father to arrive at his room was the worst wait he’d ever felt in his life- every second felt like an eternity. He waited and waited, trying to not drive himself mad with his anxiety… until his door finally opened and the king stormed in, and Vaati wished he could do _something_ to leave and just avoid this, regardless of what it was.

“Vaati, so _good_ to see you’re _back_.”

“Y-Yes, father…”

“Care to tell me _where you were?_”

“……”

“…It hardly matters. All that _matters_ is that you _disobeyed _me. You are under _strict orders_ to _never_ leave this room without supervision. And what do you do? You run off for an _entire day_, causing _no_ end of trouble for _me_ to have to clean up.”

“I… I’m sorry, father…”

“One thing. I cannot even trust you to do _one thing_ properly.”

“I won’t do it again, I promis-“

“Do you think I can _trust _that?”

“…”

“Of course not. I can’t trust a single damn word you say.”

“F-Father…”

“Do _not_ speak back to me. I do not want to hear a single _word_ from your mouth.” The king was clearly in no mood to listen, his eyes filled with anger and hate. “If you _ever_ pull something like this again, I’ll move your room to the _dungeon_, do you understand? _You are not to leave this room. Ever._”

Vaati just nodded, waiting for his father to leave before he allowed himself the chance to breathe. He’d been stupid, so _stupid_ to think that he could have _one_ nice day. Of course he wouldn’t be allowed that- _he was a monster_. He’d been born a monster, and he’d die a monster. And monsters weren’t allowed good things.

* * *

It was a week before anything changed- that was Zephyr’s next guard shift, quietly entering Vaati’s room. The boy didn’t even care that the guard found him sobbing on his bed, he doubted that anything would happen- but the man quickly leaned over by him, concern evident in his voice.

“Young master? What is the matter?”

“It… it’s nothing…”

“It’s clearly not nothing, prince Vaati.” Sighing, Zephyr sat on the edge of the bed. For a second, he reached out a hand, as if he intended on patting the young prince's back- but he hesitated, and Vaati shifted before he could decide to follow through. “Please… you can tell me. I swear I won’t tell anyone.”

“I… I really am sorry I left… I didn’t think anyone would even notice…”

“Vaati… it shouldn’t be a bad thing. The laws that say you have to stay here… they aren’t fair. And your father trapping you to your room isn’t what you deserve.”

“…”

“I’m sorry. I wish I knew a better option for you, an _answer_… something that could help make sense of things for you.”

But the world wasn’t that simple, and Vaati _knew_ that. He knew that things were just unfair because life was unfair- just like how his very birth had been cursed. It didn’t matter why things were they way that they were, that was just _how they were_.

“I… I promise I’ll never leave again… I won’t do it ever again.”

“I know, Vaati. I know.”

“I don’t want him to be mad at me. I don’t want him to hate me.”

“It isn’t your fault.”

“I wish things were different.”

“I do too.”

In the end, all Vaati could do was cry. It didn’t change anything, it didn’t make things any better or make them hurt any less- but it was at least the most nominal of distractions, the most simple of things that could ease the aching pain in his heart.


	6. Wash away my sanity

Time went by, but nothing seemed to get better for him. His room was as stifling as ever, and he still didn’t _dare_ try to listen for his friend. All he had to distract him now was books… and just about the only thing he was permitted to ask for was new ones. He was no longer even allowed to just go to the library, he couldn’t _ever_ leave his room- but Zephyr was kind to him, often bringing along new ones at Vaati’s request.

As he’d grown more desperate for new material to alleviate his boredom, he’d asked for history books on their country. Zephyr had started with the more gentle ones, the ones from recent history… but eventually, he’d gotten to ages ago, back during the reign of the demon king.

Though he knew it wrong, he was _fascinated _by the demon’s existence. He figured it was normal- after all, the demon was his ancestor. The royal family’s bloodline had started with him, so did it not make sense? It was only natural to wonder about their kingdom’s founder. It just made sense that he would care about someone he was distantly related to.

There was far more on the ‘true’ first king, a man named Vaalni, but Vaati hardly cared about that. The man was boring, in his mind- the only thing of real interest were accounts about the king’s soul.

_Supposedly_, as a result of the soul-splitting magics that’d sealed away the demon, the man had been born with only a tiny fraction of a soul. Hell- even his previous incarnation, the king Vaati who’d helped begin the era of peace, was recorded to have been victim to a similar state of being. He’d been born with only half a soul, as a result of the demon’s curse…

So, did that mean he was the same?

It would make sense, he figured. After all, he was a perfect candidate for the demon’s curse, just as the previous king Vaati had been. So then, was the prerequisite for that… lacking part of your soul?

No. It wasn’t that it was _lacking_.

It was just that the other half was still sealed away, along with the demon known as Wrath.

The records about the demon king were sparse, but Vaati found himself growing obsessed with them. From the little that remained, it was said that the slain prince Octavo had driven his brother to madness, and in his fury, Vaati had murdered him. To kill the one who’d driven you to that point- to be honest, Vaati was _jealous_.

He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help but _empathize_ with the demon. The other half of his soul was with him- _he wanted to be complete_. He wanted his soul to be whole, he didn’t want this constant aching from a part of him that would never be there for as long as the seal existed.

Perhaps that meant he really was a monster, then. Perhaps he was no better than him. But it didn’t matter… his fate had been decided, and there was no escaping it. So rather than run from it, he decided to embrace it- until the day he could find the seal’s location, he’d wait.

The years ticked by slowly and painfully. Originally, he’d planned on copying the demon king- on waiting until he turned eighteen, to ensure he could properly take the throne. But he’d only been ten when his father had decided it fair to lock him inside his room for the rest of his life… he couldn’t take it. He’d sooner _die_ than waste away any longer than necessary- by fourteen, the confinement had broken him completely.

Not that it mattered to him. He was happy to think of ways to erase his father from his life, and was excited to think of ways to put them into action.

Though he had many plans, he was careful not to share them- not even with Zephyr, who was about the only person he could come close to trusting. It would be best to ensure the guard knew nothing… in truth, he was betting on Zephyr’s loyalty to him for his plan to work out in its entirety. So the less he knew of Vaati’s intentions, the better.

Still, it was ironic that the man was on guard duty the day before Vaati had decided to set his plan into motion.

“Young master… I wanted to wish you a happy birthday.”

“Huh?”

“You’re fifteen now, are you not?”

Vaati just blinked, trying to think of the date. He so easily lost track of time within his room, he didn’t bother with calendars or the like- why did they matter? Every day was the same, after all.

“I suppose I am.”

“I know it isn’t much, but… I brought you this. Something extra.”

It was a slice of cake- surely lifted from the kitchens, and definitely _not_ something made for him… but Vaati could appreciate the effort.

“Thank you, Zepyr.”

“Hopefully… hopefully this year will be kind to you.”

“Yes… I agree.”

“Young master?”

“I… I feel positive about the coming year.” Though he didn’t smile, he had to suppress a laugh. Oh, if only he _knew!_ “I feel as though… as though the winds will bring something positive.”

“Well, that’s good news! I hope so as well.”

Zephyr smiled, and Vaati couldn’t help but pity him. Honestly, he was so… _simple_. But that was what would make it easier to manipulate him, and use him as he saw fit- he’d make things work out perfectly, so he could gain the power he needed.

So that he could be _whole _again.


	7. Ghost of my demise

There was a strange thing that Vaati had learned to do with his magic when he’d been trying to figure out how to kill his father.

At first, he’d thought about doing as the demon king had- to make it obvious it was a murder. But he knew that wasn’t an option… with the demon sealed away, he was just a mortal, and always would be. Which meant he’d be executed for regicide the moment he was caught, which he didn’t want… so he needed to find a way to make it look accidental.

Something he’d realized he could do as a result of that was make little tiny air bubbles. He’d practiced in glasses of water, that was an easy enough task- and once he’d gotten good enough at it, he’d realized how _useful_ it could be. It wouldn’t be that hard to use air bubbles to block a couple veins or arteries… which meant he could easily cause a heart attack or a stroke.

That would be effective, and he doubted anyone would _really_ be able to claim a _heart attack_ was his fault. No matter how much you hated him, that was just a bit extreme, wasn’t it? Things like those were basically random, after all. Yes, his father was just going to have an unfortunate stroke of bad luck…

It was past midnight when he teleported into his father’s room, a dark blanket secured around his shoulders into a makeshift cloak. He didn’t even stir as Vaati drew close- his lip twitched upwards in disgust. How _dare_ this man sleep _peacefully_—no, it hardly mattered. Not when he was about to die.

Vaati would get the last laugh, and that’s all that mattered to him.

His magic was silent, working simultaneously to start forming bubbles and keep his father from being able to speak. He’d at least be able to _breathe_, asphyxiation may have made it too obvious that someone killed him… but not much more than that. Really, it was nice that his father had ensured he'd have so much _free time_... he'd had plenty to practice, to a point that multitasking like this was simple.

“Wake up, father.”

The king’s eyes shot open as he began to grip at his chest in pain, looking about in a panic until they settled on Vaati. The look of fear on his face _delightful_\- the stupid old man clearly had no idea what was happening. Perhaps he believed it to be a nightmare… but it wasn’t. Not for _Vaati_, anyways.

“You’re going to die tonight. You’re having a heart attack.” He just smiled lightly as he watched his father’s mouth move, straining to yell for help- but nobody came. Nobody would hear him. “You’ve lived long enough, and caused enough trouble. It’s time for you to go to sleep, and never wake up.”

Stepping a little closer, Vaati let the smile on his face grow wider.

“You were right about one thing, father: I _am_ a monster. This magic of mine is just a symptom- the air and wind can do such horrible things, did you know? I could drain the air from a room to make a vacuum, or just steal away the air from a person’s lungs. But for you, father, nobody will know you were killed. How unfortunate, isn’t it?”

His father was attempting to mouth some words, but Vaati didn’t care to put in the effort discerning what they were. Why _should_ he care? The man was going to die, anyways.

“I’m going to bring back my soul’s other half, and then we’ll be reborn- we’ll be _complete_. I’ll finally be a whole person, after all these years of suffering. So _thank you_, father. Thank you for showing me what my only option was. And now, _goodbye_.”

He just grinned as his father contorted in pain- the air bubbles in his bloodstream could hardly be pleasant, after all. But the pain was what he deserved… after _far_ too long, his father finally stopped moving, the air no longer stirring around him. He was dead.

And Vaati was free.


	8. Beginning of a new life

Vaati returned to his room with haste, going to sleep as if nothing had happened. In fact, he had a better sleep than he’d experienced in quite some time- it was peaceful, and he woke up feeling quite rested.

The sun was high in the sky by the time someone came to his room- he opened his door to the guard and looked up at him numbly, doing his best to pretend as though he didn’t know what was going on within the palace.

“My liege, I bring bad news. It would seem that during the night, your father passed away.”

“M-My father… what?” It was too easy to make his voice tremble, drawing back into himself in a way he was utterly used to. “Can… can I… go to see him?”

“Yes, my liege.”

He allowed the guard to bring him to his father’s room, stopped only by a small gathering of clerics outside of his door.

“…What happened to him?”

“It would seem that he had a heart attack during the night… he was already long dead by the time we found him. I am sorry, but… we couldn’t do anything to help him.”

“It’s okay… you did your best.”

The clerics were precisely why he’d picked so late at night- to prevent _any_ chance of his father being saved. The longer he laid dead, the harder it would be to help him… and actual resurrection magics were forbidden. _Nobody_ was allowed to learn them, so it was questionable whether they even existed… not that Vaati cared. His father was dead, that was all that mattered.

It was a challenge to hide the grin on his face as he was finally allowed to enter the room. But he believed he did quite an admirable job at it- after all, was it not their family’s duty to hide all emotion? It was a law that not even the royal family could change… but once he was their _true_ king, he’d change it. Nobody would be able to deny his whims.

“Farewell, father… perhaps someday, we’ll meet again…”

In hell, certainly. He knew that _he_ wasn’t going to have a pleasant afterlife- but there was no way his father’s would be kind. He would burn, and Vaati would take much enjoyment from that thought.

There was much that needed to happen at this point- first up was his father’s funeral. There were people already debating on whether or not he could become king, he was still just a _child_, he wasn’t an _adult_ yet… much to his surprise though, more people were okay with him becoming king than he’d expected. In the end, it was decided that there really was no other option- the kingdom needed a regent, and he was the only one with the right to rule.

Really, it couldn’t have gone more perfectly.

The funeral was long and boring, and there was far too much that Vaati had to do. He didn’t _care_ about putting his father to rest, he didn’t _care_ about all of the formalities that were supposed to be given to him… he had been a _horrible _man! People in the castle _knew_ that! But he’d been _king_, so none of it mattered… if you were king, you could do whatever you wanted.

It felt oddly fitting that his first _ever_ public event was a _funeral_. He could hear the whispers and mutters of people staring at him- he couldn’t help but wonder what lies his father had told for why he never left his room, not even for his own birthdays. Was he _ill_, perhaps? Just _shy?_ Whatever the lies were, they didn’t matter. And perhaps now, they’d help prove the sort of person his father had been, given that he was _perfectly fine_, ready and able to help lead his father’s funeral.

After an utterly _exhausting_ day though, it was done. He’d retired to his room, only to be followed up by Zephyr- Vaati just raised an eyebrow, unsure what the royal guard could want.

“My prince, are you… are you alright?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I know that… your relationship was not _good_. I hope that it wasn’t too hard today…” _Having to speak kindly of him_ were the words left unsaid, hanging heavy in the air.

“It was just formal procedure. It meant little to me- it was for my people that I did it. For them, I don’t mind… even if I _did_ have to speak well of that man.”

“Vaati…”

“Do not worry. I’ll be fine. Besides, there are more important things to plan- my coronation will be arriving quickly, will it not? There are many people who will need to be invited for such a ceremony.”

“….yes, indeed. Then… I will leave you to your rest.”

“Thank you, Zephyr.”

He shut the door as the man left, holding back a groan. He was honest-hearted, which was honestly going to make him a little bit _annoying_\- but he’d deal with him. The knight would help him learn the information that he needed, so he’d have to put up with him.

* * *

A day prior to his coronation, he’d been surprised to receive word that visitors from the Kingdom of Rhythm had arrived. They’d been invited, yes, but Vaati hadn’t thought they’d arrive early.

He came to greet them in the throne room, bowing to the queen and Octavo soon as they entered the room.

“Your majesty, prince Octavo… I welcome you to the Kingdom of Winds.”

“We thank you for your hospitality.” The queen bowed her head, face resting in a neutral frown. “We are sorry to hear of your loss, but pray for prosperity under the watch of a new king.”

“Thank you, your majesty. Your words are much appreciated.”

“Oh, cut the formalities!” It was Octavo who spoke up, quickly running over to Vaati and grabbing his hands. “We need to talk! It’s been _ages!_ What’s happened in your life, Vaati?”

“O-Oh, ah… my apologies. I became quite busy after our last… conversation… I no longer had time to speak. My apologies for not being able to let you know.”

“Eh, it’s fine. I’m just glad we finally get to see each other again!”

“Yes… it is nice, isn’t it?”

Though he smiled, Vaati was anything but happy. Honestly, Octavo was _infuriating_\- though he lived in a _dump_ of a kingdom, he was _happy_\- he had a people and family who loved him, and freedom to do whatever he wanted. That _stupid_ smile of his… did he have any idea how much _trouble_ he’d caused? The _pain_ Vaati had gone through, because of him?

“Oh, and that’s right! I got you something, too! As a gift, for your coronation.”

Octavo didn’t even hesitate, reaching out and pinning something to Vaati’s clothes. It was a little silver brooch, with bits of luminous stone set in as gemstones. It was roughly in the shape of an eight note, and Vaati had to keep his lip from curling in disgust at the sight.

“As a symbol of the friendship between our kingdoms. Just remember, if you ever need anything, you can ask us for it! We’ll be here for you, I promise.”

“….right. Yes, thank you Octavo. Your gift is appreciated.”

He’d toss it as soon as he was given the option, certainly. He didn’t need some stupid bit of _trash_ like this.

The rest of their conversation moved as quickly as Vaati could allow for, sending his guests to their rooms and requesting the kitchen staff prepare them a proper meal. He would regretfully have to be absent, naturally- he had _much_ to prepare for, and he didn’t want to be bothered before tomorrow.

They would understand.

When it came time to throw out the brooch though, he hesitated. It was only a second, but that was long enough- rather than throwing it into the trash, he just threw it haphazardly into a drawer in his room. It wouldn’t do for some _garbage picker_ to find something like this, so high above their status, after all. He’d keep it so _nobody_ would use it, and it could just waste away, forgotten.


	9. That which I deserve

His coronation went quite smoothly, which made Vaati _very_ happy. He’d expected discontent, for people to be arguing or trying to claim that he was too young for it, or people trying to say he _couldn’t_ be king, because he was a _monster_\- but they were all wise enough to refrain. Despite his youth, he was now the ruler of the kingdom… which meant that soon, he would be able to acquire all of the power he wanted. He could be _unstoppable_, and he was looking forwards to that.

The first step though, was to ensure a change of the captain of the guard. One of the things he’d learned through his books was the only person allowed to know the location of the demon’s seal- that was the guard captain. The information was written within a book in the castle archives, and only the king could give _access_ to it… which meant, the only time Vaati would have reason to look over the book would be when allowing a new captain to learn of the demon’s location.

Of course, it wouldn’t be hard to orchestrate an _accident_ to force the old captain of the guard to retire. He was old anyways, close to retiring- but Vaati didn’t want to wait potential _years_ for that to happen. No, all he’d needed was one good trip- an unfortunate mishap had led to the captain getting rushed up to the infirmary, from where he decided it would be time to announce his retirement. A few broken bones in old age had done him in, off to a life in the capital where he could rest instead.

Honestly, so _weak_\- but it didn’t matter. It’d gotten what Vaati had wanted, without any of the fuss or complication of killing him.

“Zephyr, may I have a word with you?” He barely even waited for the knight to nod his head, pulling him into the room that had just recently been designated as his personal study. “As you know, the previous captain of the guard has just announced his retirement, as result of his unfortunate injuries.”

“Yeah…”

“It is unfortunate that we shall be losing his experience and knowledge during this time of considerable change. However, we cannot alter what has happened- and I wish for you to become our new captain of the guard.”

“M-Me?”

“Yes, you. I believe that you are well-suited to the task- you are loyal and brave, and I feel I can rely on you. Would you say that is true?”

“Of- of course, my liege. I am honoured you feel this way.” He bowed deeply, and Vaati wanted to laugh at how _perfectly_ his plan was coming together. “If you wish for me to be your new captain, then I will do my utmost best to serve you.”

“Thank you, captain.”

“Of course, my liege!”

“And, Zephyr… thank you. For being my friend.”

“…Right. It was my honour, my liege.”

He smiled gently as he saw Zephyr off, barely able to contain the mad glee that was bubbling up in his heart. Honestly, it was so _easy_ to manipulate him- this would be even easier than he’d hoped for.

* * *

The loophole in time that Vaati had found about the procedures regarding the captain of the guard and the seal’s location was not a big one. He would have about a minute within the archives before and after Zephyr read the book to check the location- but he could make it work. After all, he knew the page the book needed to be opened to, and he could _easily _read it and commit it to memory within two minutes. Really, royal procedure and lack of foresight had resulted in it being almost _easy_ for him to get the knowledge he desired. By over-complicating it so much, they'd made certain he'd know exactly how to formulate his plan... he supposed that nobody had ever accounted for the king _himself_ being the one who wished to learn about the demon's location.

The ceremonies required to give Zephyr his new title were quick, short enough that they weren’t _too_ dreadfully boring. They were still far from what Vaati would call _pleasant_, but he could _deal_\- all of it was for his power. All of it was for his end goal of _power_, because once he woke up the demon, he’d basically be a _god_.

Once he had his _title_, it was time for the _important_ parts. Vaati led him deep within the castle archives, to a particular room. There were many books mixed around- a tactic to ensure anyone who found themselves in this deep still wouldn’t be able to find the demon. Only he knew which book held the knowledge, and only he knew which _page_ the information was _on_… he didn’t even need the second minute to look, quickly scanning to find that the demon’s seal was north of Old Windhm castle, closer to the northern border of the kingdom.

_Perfect_.

Zephyr did his duty admirably, for what it was worth. He was serious and quick, not speaking a word the entire time. Then Vaati shut the book and returned it to the shelf, and they left as if nothing had happened.

But now? Now, Vaati was _ready_. He was ready to finally recomplete his soul… oh, how he _longed_ to be a _whole person_. He wanted the part of him that was missing, that had been so _cruelly_ split apart.

“Captain.”

“Yes, my liege?”

“Even though I am king, I am still not permitted to leave the palace. Is that correct?”

“A-Ah… unfortunately, yes, my liege… the law is quite firm on you not being able to leave until eighteen. And even then, you require escorts, for your personal safety…”

“Of course.”

“I know it doesn’t really seem fair. But I promise, my liege- three years will go by quicker than you think. And all of us in the castle are here to ensure your days are fulfilled- it won’t be like before. I swear by it.”

“I trust you, Zephyr.”

“I…. thank you, my liege.”

“I pray… that the future shall smile upon our kingdom.”

“I will too, my liege.”

Zephyr bowed as he took his leave, and Vaati couldn’t help but think about how fun it would be to watch everything about this land crumble to dust. All these stupid laws, that’d been created just to _choke_ him, to make him _suffer_\- they’d be the first to go, and then their supporters would follow.

This kingdom… no, this _world_ was going to be _his_ for the taking.

It was just what he _deserved._


	10. The new age

He decided it would be best to go at night. He could ensure that nobody would check in on his room or attempt to disturb him, so nobody would even know he’d been gone- not that it really _mattered_, but he’d rather it be a _surprise_.

The sealed grounds were quiet upon arrival- much to his surprise, there was nothing there that really stood out as something to push him away. No, in fact… this place was _inviting_ to him. It was calling to him, _singing_ for him, reaching out to his fractured soul in a way that made him feel as though he could _finally_ be _whole _again.

There was a barrier surrounding the inner area of the seal, though it was easy to dispel. Upon doing that, the wind seemed to grow stronger… but it didn’t need to push him in, and it _knew_ that. The demon was as impatient as he was to become a _whole person_ once more.

“You’re waiting for _me_, aren’t you?”

Though he could make out no words, he could still feel the demon’s _intent_. His mad glee was heavy and dangerous in the air, almost _infectious_\- Vaati wanted more of it. And he knew he’d get more, once he had his power.

“You’ve been waiting so long for someone who could reawaken you. For someone who can finally fix your soul.”

His footsteps were light, almost _joyful_. There was no sorrow here, no pain… this was a _happy_ place for him.

“I’ve been waiting for the same thing. My soul is broken in half, because of the ones who stuck you here. It’s time to re-awaken, Wrath. It’s time to take this world as _ours_. The world will bow before us- this time, we’ll take _everything_.”

He stood in front of the sword that housed the other half of his soul, not bothered in the slightest by the winds that threatened to break the trees surrounding the sanctuary right in half. The wind belonged to him, after all- it would never hurt him. Not when it was only following the will of its masters.

“Now, Wrath. Let us take _everything_.”

And in one swift motion, he was reborn.


	11. A fated meeting

It had been Octavo’s idea to arrive to Vaati’s coronation early. In truth, he’d been worried about his friend- he’d never received word from him ever since that day they’d spent together, and any attempts to send message to him had all ended in failure. He didn’t know what had happened, but he’d imagine it must’ve been something _bad_\- he was scared for him, honestly.

And yet… Vaati had seemed perfectly fine upon arrival to the kingdom. Almost _happy_, even- Octavo knew that his father had been… not terribly _good_, so he wasn’t surprised about Vaati seeming relieved. But it was still a little odd to see, so soon after a funeral… no. He was just overthinking things. It probably made sense that Vaati seemed so much more positive- he no longer had to stick to his room, right? That would make a world of difference.

Glad as he was that the coronation went smoothly, he found that he didn’t want to return so quickly to his own kingdom. He hardly had reason to stay here at the castle though, and he didn’t want to distract Vaati from his own duties… so once he’d said a proper formal congratulations and farewell, he’d decided it would be best to just wander the kingdom.

His travels took him to many places he’d never been before- there were far more towns on the surface than there were in the underground, and far more people to populate them. The land was rich and alive, which seemed so different than the life he knew… but he didn’t hate his kingdom. It was just a shame they couldn’t reunite.

Eventually, Octavo found himself nearing the northern part of the kingdom. It seemed as though it’d been abandoned for quite some time, which left him curious- wasn’t this where the original entrance to the underground had been? Something about the northern mines… perhaps people no longer wanted to be associated to their country.

The further north he went, the stronger the wind seemed to blow. It attempted to blow him back, to keep him _away_\- but he was stubborn, if nothing else.

The winds only subsided when he found himself staring down some old ruins- there was something about them that immediately put a pit in his stomach, and he knew that this was _not_ a place he should be.

“Who… what are you… doing here?”

The voice that spoke to him was soft and sad, drenched in a melancholy that immediately made Octavo’s heart want to break in two.

“H-Huh? Who said that?”

“Oh… you can… hear me?” Octavo spun around, trying to find the location of the voice- and nearly falling back on his butt when he saw the faint outline of a figure floating above the ground, staring down at him. “I didn’t… expect… you to hear me….”

“Wh-who—who are _you?!_”

“Can you… see me…?”

“Y-Yeah, I-I—I c-can!”

“Oh… oh my…” the ghost seemed more shocked than Octavo was, floating down beside him. “I am… prince Octavo of Windhm… the one who is called the ‘slain prince’…”

“W-Wait, you’re… you’re _him?_”

“Yes… my soul cannot move on… I have too many regrets…”

“S-So then… does that mean… the demon… h-he’s real, too?”

“My brother… he is there, yes…” The ghost pointed away from them, deeper into the ruins- and as he did, the wind kicked up, sending dirt and twigs to smack at Octavo, making him wince. “He is… not happy… right now…”

“_What do you mean?_”

“His seal… it’s breaking… the time of destiny is arriving…… he grows impatient… he calls for my blood once more……”

“Y-Your—do you mean _mine?_”

“To him, killing you… would be the same as killing me again…”

“Well- well how do we stop him getting out?!”

“You can’t… it’s too late. But… I can mask your presence… you can hide from him with my aid…”

“Then help me! I’ve gotta figure out a way to deal with this!”

“….Very well…. I shall……”

And that was how Octavo had suddenly found himself with a traveling companion- a certain ghost of a long-dead prince. The further they got from the location of the seal, the more… visible he seemed to get- he was still _hardly_ corporeal, you could look right through him, but it was a little easier to distinguish things beyond a faint outline. And it was in that time that he realized just how _similar_ they were… apart from the tears that never seemed to stop falling, they looked identical.

Perhaps that was to be expected, perhaps that was the _‘norm’_ with reincarnations- he really didn’t know. He definitely wasn’t any sort of scholar on the topic, and to be quite frank? He wasn’t sure who’d _want_ to be.

But that was a distraction from the point, and Octavo knew it.

“So, hey, uh…. Slain?”

He didn’t know what else to call the ghost, but the other Octavo didn’t seem too bothered by it. The name felt… a little mean? But he really just couldn’t think of anything else.

“…yes?”

“What did you mean that the demon is going to return? What _exactly_ is gonna happen?”

“I could not say for certain… but either he’ll finally have regained enough strength to break it on his own, or the one who carries the other half of his decayed soul will break it for him…”

“The… other half?”

“Yes…”

“But wait— isn’t he like… Vaati? Wouldn’t that mean he’d be waiting for—”

“…yes…”

“We have to go warn him! Vaati’s in danger—”

“No… it’s not safe.”

“But—!”

“It’ll already be… too late…” Slain sighed, his tone melancholic as ever. “My brother… knows his vessel is alive… he is just waiting to claim it…”

“We might be able to protect Vaati, though!”

“Or… you get yourself killed… and ensure he’ll never be stopped……”

It was Octavo’s turn to sigh now- well, _maybe_ that would happen… but maybe it wouldn’t! However… he really didn’t know how to properly argue with the ghost, who was _definitely_ more knowledgeable about the demon than he was, so he had no real choice but to give up.

“Fine. But I’ll figure out a way to save him, for certain.”


	12. Can't keep sheltered behind glass about to crack

“…it’s broken. My brother… is alive again…”

Slain had jerked his head up suddenly, making Octavo feel more than a bit unsettled. The sudden movement was unlike the ghost, who always seemed to move so slowly and carefully.

“He is… then, we’ve gotta go and find him! And figure out a way to fix this!”

“Wait, you can’t—!”

But Octavo wasn’t interested in listening- he’d instead run back in the direction of the seal, towards where he’d first met Slain. Contrary to what he’d expected, though… there was no demon, and no Vaati. Not even when he pressed in further…

In fact, there was _nothing_. Not even that howling wind that’d threatened to knock him over last time- just absolutely nothing. He’d been about to blow it all off as a bust, to figure that they’d have to decide on some other way to deal with things- when he saw a blade lying on the ground, tossed aside among the debris.

“What… _is_ this?”

“That is… the sword that sealed him…”

“The sword?”

“Yes… He cannot die by mortal blade… but this one is special……”

“Hold up, though- I don’t want to do any _killing_. I’m not killing my friend.”

“……he is no longer your friend, though…”

“Eh, says _you_. I know Vivi- we’re best friends! I’ll figure out a way to get through to him, I won’t need _this_.”

“………”

He would bring it along, it wouldn’t do for something like this to get _lost_\- but he wanted to use it under absolutely _no_ circumstances. In what world would _killing_ him help things? He knew that Vaati had to be hurting… so he deserved a helping hand. Someone he could rely on, who would help him out of this place he’d gotten himself into. And even if Octavo couldn’t do much, he knew he could at _least_ be that for him.

“We should…. Return to your home…. I can better protect you when we are away from his kingdom……”

“Well… yeah, mom’ll be getting worried by now, probably. Let’s go, then.”

He made the trek home as quickly as he could- the nearest_ commonly used_ entrance to the underground was still far… but he could just use the original one that nobody used. It seemed like a good enough plan, right? And anything to get away from his… _heaviness_ that he felt. The air felt almost suffocating, and he just wanted to get out of it and back home.

The old mine entrance rightfully looked as though nobody had touched it in _ages_\- it was overgrown with brush, and the cliff face that the entrance cut into had been worn down and partially collapsed. He could see the shimmering trace of the barrier- he passed through with ease, but when it came to his new companion, he paused.

“Is something wrong?”

“I… am not certain it would be good if I crossed this…”

“What do you mean?”

“The magic on this barrier… it doesn’t account for one like me, not properly…… of course our father would’ve made such a simple mistake………”

“uh…” Octavo just shook his head, holding his hand out to the ghost. “C’mon, just cross it? It’ll be fine.”

“It… may break, though…”

“O-Oh, uh… well, if it does, then that just means we can get to work on reuniting the kingdoms!”

“You are foolish…” Slain sighed, and rested his hand up against the barrier. After a few moments, he pressed through- and a horrible flash of light burst from the barrier at the action, accompanied with a sound almost akin to shattering glass. “Oh no… I knew it……”

“Well, well, _well._ This is quite an appreciated surprise.” Octavo had no time to clear the spots from his eyes before he heard a voice- it was familiar but not, and he found himself staring up at _Vaati._ His friend’s form had changed, though- his features were twisted and demonic, the grin on his face unnatural and almost inhuman. “I was _looking_ for you, _friend_. I should’ve expected that you’d be hiding your presence.”

Though Vaati stared directly at him, his third eye wouldn’t- instead it was looking only at Slain, hatred clear.

“And to think, you’d have such a special _guest_ along with you- I suppose I should _thank_ you for breaking this _pesky _barrier for me. It will make my siege of your kingdom_ far _easier.”

“S-Seige? Hey, uh….c’mon, isn’t that a bit much?”

“Oh please, I only take what I _deserve_. Besides, wouldn’t that result in what you _wanted?_ For our lands to be unified? They will be- along with every kingdom in this world. _All_ will be mine.”

“Look, Vivi, that’s a cool goal, but like…. It’s not very nice to do the whole ‘world domination’ stuff, it really doesn’t suit you…”

“…do you _honestly_ think you can _stop_ me with your _stupid little pathetic pleas?_” Vaati rolled his eyes, though the confident smirk was back immediately after. With a wave of his hand, a group of monsters appeared behind him- they didn’t move, but Octavo could feel them watching him, as if he was a particularly tasty looking meal. “No. _I_ am the one who leads this conversation. Do you understand?”

“Y-Yep! Yeah, I sure do.”

“_Good_. Now, _dear friend,_ I offer you a _deal_.”

“….a deal?”

“Surrender your kingdom to me, and I shall spare your people. Or, fight against me and be slaughtered. It’s your decision.”

Octavo felt himself freeze up in shock- what sort of decision was _that?!_ That wasn’t any choice that could be made!

“Oh, but worry not. I’m a merciful god, I won’t make you pick on the spot. Impulse decisions are ones you _always_ regret, after all.” He laughed as though he’d just told a particularly funny joke, though Octavo had no idea what he may have meant. “I’ll give you a week. I look forwards to seeing your kingdom’s throne room- and if you’re late, I’ll just assume you’re surrendering to me. So I suppose you do have a third option… _you can flee with your tail between your legs_. It’s all up to you.”

He broke into mad laughter as he finished speaking- even once he teleported away the laughter remained, echoing down into the caves and carved into Octavo’s ears as he started running home, trying to fight the rising panic in his chest.


	13. Budding determination

“Octavo! Where in the _goddesses names_ have you _been—”_

“_No time for this, mom! We’ve gotta talk!_”

Without even waiting, Octavo dragged his mother from the throne room the _moment_ he stepped inside. She did _not_ seem happy with him, but she also had no real arguments ready for him just grabbing her hand and pulling, not stopping until they were together within a more private room.

“Well? What explanation do you have for yourself?”

“Uuuuuuh… the demon king resurrected in Vaati and the barrier is broken now and we have a week to decide whether we want to surrender or die?”

“………_What?_” For a second, Octavo thought his mother might faint- but then a furious sort of determination made its way onto her face, drawing tight into a frown. “Tell me _exactly_ what happened, Octavo. _Every detail_.”

And he did- save for Slain, of course. He didn’t want to go through the trouble of explaining how the ghost of the son of their kingdom’s founder who’d been murdered by the demon king had decided to hang around him. Just _thinking_ it made him feel like he was making stuff up for attention, so… yes, it would be best to skip that detail.

“By the goddesses…. We need to find someplace safe for our people to go to.”

“But _where_, mother? These tunnels only go so far, and the surface already has monsters on it.”

“We’ll have to find somewhere, and then pray he accepts our surrender.”

“_Surrender?_”

“Would you risk the lives of our people?”

“W-Well no, of course not, but—”

“_No arguing_, Octavo. We have a duty to our people, you _know_ that.”

“I know! I know. But… but I’m not gonna stand by and just let Vaati do what he wants! He’s my friend, and he’s suffering alone- I’ve gotta be there for him!”

“Child… and what of _you?_ What if he kills you, just like that demon murdered his brother so many years ago?”

“I won’t let him! I’m not going to let things end like that!”

“That’s_ enough,_ Octavo. I will not hear any more of this. You _will_ be joining me- we are going to protect our people.”

But Octavo just spun about on his heel, leaving and running off to his room. Why didn’t she understand? Why couldn’t she get it? Why didn’t she see why he wanted to _save his friend?_

“Your mother… is right, you know……”

“Oh please, not you _too_.”

“He is a demon… he can’t be stopped……”

“That’s just what you think! I’m gonna prepare, and I’m gonna save him. There is _no way_ I’m losing him to some stupid curse! Uh… no offense to your brother.”

“……none taken.”

Without much thought, he picked up the sword from before and left the castle at a light jog. Though there _was_ technically a courtyard, it was small and hardly any good for practicing- and besides, he didn’t want his mom bothering him.

No, where Octavo was headed was a smaller cavern in behind the castle- nobody went there because it was just a dead end, which meant it would be a perfect place to _train_. Which is exactly what he started doing the second he got there, drawing the blade and getting to work.

He couldn’t say he was much of a fighter- by the very nature of their kingdom, they’d never had to worry much about defences. There was barely even a royal guard, considering the relatively small size of the castle compared to the one he’d seen on the surface… but his own lack of experience wasn’t going to stop him. He’d spend this week doing whatever necessary to prepare, and then he’d take Vaati on _himself_\- and he _would_ get through to his friend.

“……it’s not going to work…”

“Y’know, Slain, there’s a saying we’ve got here: don’t complain about the dark unless you’re gonna make a light yourself.”

“………what does that mean?”

“It means ‘don’t talk about something that bothers you unless you wanna put some effort in to _fix_ it’.” Octavo huffed, not stopping his practice swings. “I don’t care if it seems hopeless or futile. I’m not gonna just give up on him without putting in the effort to _try_\- if I say he’s a lost cause without even attempting, than I’m just abandoning my friend. And I _won’t_ do that.”

“…………”

“I don’t expect you to understand. But I swear on it- I’m gonna find a way to get through to him. No matter _what_.”


	14. The words I could never say

“You aren’t balanced.”

“H-Huh?” Octavo looked up when he heard the slain prince quip at him, more surprised by the force to his words than the words themselves. “I feel pretty balanced, I don’t know what you mean…”

“Your feet. You’d be knocked over in an instant…” though his voice was soft and quiet as ever, there certainly was some degree of strength to it now- a level of determination that hadn’t ever been there before. Apparently, a couple days of watching Octavo train had some effect on him. “You need a better stance.”

“O-Oh, uh…”

“Like this…” It was strange to see the ghost place himself on the ground, rather than floating slightly above it- and stranger yet to see him demonstrate what actually did look to be a rather sturdy pose. “A lowered center of gravity will help prevent him from knocking you over.”

“Why do you know this stuff? I mean… no offense, but you’re kinda… dead…”

“Understanding a theory and putting it into practice are different things.” He sighed, voice melancholic as ever. “I would sometimes watch the royal guard in practicing… I was never talented at music, so I would take to the gardens instead. The guard often used a nearby yard for practice… I would observe, sometimes.”

“Huh… neat.” Grinning, Octavo leaned forward. “So then, do you have any other tips? Anything else you picked up on?”

“Not really… it’s hardly as if I was training myself.”

“Hey, give yourself a little more credit! I mean, you clearly picked up on _some_ important stuff. Don’t cut that down!”

“…very well…” Slain gave yet another sigh, brow furrowing somewhat as he took a few moments to think. “How they held their swords… that was different too. Your grip is weak, he’d take the blade right from you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. Do it more like this.”

Octavo smiled, allowing the ghost to show him how to better do things. It was nice, honestly- better than his usual quiet aura of defeat.

“Say, how come you’re helping? I thought that you figured I was a lost cause?”

“You are. But… I’d still rather help you stand a chance…”

“Aw, thanks!”

“Don’t thank me… you’re still going to die if you fight him.”

“No, I won’t.”

Slain didn’t bother arguing, turning about and going to rest more near the walls of the cavern. He did that most of the time that Octavo spent training, though _what_ he was thinking about, Octavo didn’t know.

“Hey, uh… d’you mind if I ask you a couple invasive questions?”

“…you’d ask them either way, so fine…”

He figured it would be best to just ignore that comment, coughing awkwardly to dispel the nervous laugh that bubbled up in his throat.

“Well… can you tell me a little more about you guys? I mean, you and Wrath… you were brothers, right? Why’d things end up… like that?”

“I… don’t know.” Slain’s gaze fell to the ground, hugging his knees into his chest from where he sat. “Our lives as children… we weren’t happy. Our father was not a pleasant man to be around, and he blamed us for his own faults.”

“What? That’s terrible!”

“Yes… yes, it is… I did my best to just… avoid him. as crown prince, I had some relative freedom… hence why I began gardening.” The sadness in his voice made Octavo’s heart _ache_, but he forced himself to keep listening properly. “It was… it was a way to not have to think of my own failures… as I said, I am not skilled at music, nor do I hold much talent in magic. All I was ever good at was tending to plants… they were my friends.”

“I see… but then… why did Wrath do that? I mean… why… uh… kill you?”

“…I am not certain why exactly he hated me so much… we never spoke.” Slain shook his head, resting his chin on his knees. “Perhaps it was for that reason he hated me. In his eyes, I must’ve had everything… and compared to him, perhaps I did. I suppose then, killing me was justifie-”

“Hey- hold up. None of that talk here, okay?” Octavo cut the ghost off, shaking his head. “No matter what, he shouldn’t have killed you. And I know it’s too late for that, but… I think you two need to talk.”

“What? No… he’d never listen to me.”

“Have you ever even _tried?_ Look, I know it’s scary. I can… I can only _imagine_ what it’d be like for you. But don’t you think you deserve a little closure? Maybe… what if talking to him, telling him what’s on your mind- what if something like that would be what helps you move on?”

“…that’s silly…”

“You don’t know that.” Shaking his head, Octavo stood and walked over to where the ghost was seated. “You’re making up your mind before you even try, because that’s easier than taking the risk. But I mean… it’s not like he can kill you _again_, right?”

“You…. You really are an idiot…”

“A-Aha… haha… well, even if I am, I’m an optimistic one.” He smiled, flashing what he hoped was a reassuring grin. “I know I’ve got a _lot_ of choice words for my friend- I don’t know what he’s thinking, planning on taking over the world, but I’m not gonna let him just get away with this. For his own sake, I’m gonna stop him, and I’m gonna bring him _back_. Don’t you think that, for your own sake, you deserve a chance to talk? You deserve that sort of closure.”

“My brother would never listen. He’d reject the mere _concept_ of closure, or a conversation with me…”

“Then _make_ him listen! Look him dead in the eyes and tell him what’s on your mind!”

“It’ll never work…”

“That’s just what you think. Trust me. You can make him listen- just because you’re a ghost, doesn’t mean you’ve gotta give up. The only way something can _truly_ be impossible is if you give up before you even start! So long as you’re trying, there’s always a _chance_\- no matter how slim, even if it’s one in a million, there’s still that _chance_. If you hold onto it, then who knows? Maybe you’ll get a miracle.”

Slain refused to respond to that, leaving Octavo to eventually return to his training. But he hoped that his friend was at least listening, because he did _honestly_ believe his words. It didn’t matter how slim the odds, it didn’t matter how impossible it all seemed… he wouldn’t give up. And he prayed that Slain wouldn’t give up either.


	15. Confrontation

When a week had finally passed, Octavo couldn’t help but feel his nerves rising. He’d managed to slip away from his mother’s watch while she’d started leading an evacuation to a part of the underground they’d been fortifying for the attack, and had gone back to the throne room- but now all he could do was pace anxiously back and forth, waiting for the inevitable.

“What’s gonna happen? When do you think he’ll show up?”

“Soon, likely.” Slain was floating in place nearby, watching with concern on his face. “And he’s not going to be _happy_ that you’re resisting.”

“H-Hah, well… I know that.” The four sword was sheathed at his side, and Octavo couldn’t help but find its weight distracting. “But I’m stubborn. I’m not gonna let him just… do whatever he wants!”

“It’s your loss… you really should run away…”

“My, my. So, you showed your face.” Octavo had no time to respond before there was a burst of wind, Vaati appearing before him in an instant. Alongside him stood a group of monsters, all staying still in wait of a command to attack. “I expected you’d turn and _run_. I must say, I’m impressed- you’re not as much of a coward as I’d believed.”

“I won’t just run away from you, Vaati! You’re my friend, I’m _going_ to get through to you!”

“_Hah!_ Oh, what a _laugh!_” His laughter was almost _screeching_, with a horrid high-pitched quality that made Octavo’s ears ring. It was inhuman- which perhaps made sense, but he still didn’t like it. “Perhaps another time, I’d love to see you _try_, but I’m a bit behind schedule on my conquering of this world. A_ certain somebody_ has delayed me a week, and I’m quite anxious to hear his response.”

“Oh? You, anxious?”

“Cut it, _fool_. I seek to know your answer. Surrender your kingdom to me, or be slaughtered like pigs. What is your choice?”

“Vaati… I am going to fight.” He drew his blade, pointing it at his friend. “I am going to fight, and I’m going to _save_ you! You’re no demon to me, and I’ll prove that to you, no matter what it takes!”

“_Ahahahahahahahahaha! Oh, that’s **hilarious!!!**_” From his position floating in the air he rolled to his back, gripping his stomach in laughter. It was almost childish, in a way- but his eyes quickly fixed back onto Octavo, sadistic glee written plainly on his face. “Fine then! It’s time for you to die!”

By his command, the wave of monsters leaped forwards. Keese flew in the air above him while bokoblins and moblins moved to swarm- the only way he managed to keep track of them at all was with his magic, the pulsing rhythm controlling the battlefield and helping him at least get a _feeling_ for how they were going to move.

Still though, that by no means made it _easy_\- he had to keep twisting and dodging the hoard of beasts, only slowly managing to whittle away at them all. He was taking more hits than he’d like, too- this wasn’t going to be helpful if he still had to fight Vaati himself…

But eventually, he did it. When the last bokoblin fell, he looked back to Vaati, who was watching with an amused grin. The rhythm he commanded quieted, no longer in control of the battlefield- no. It was just him and his friend.

“Well, Vaati? Are you going to come down and face me?”

“I _suppose_ I could do you the honour. Be prepared to _die_.”

“No, Vaati, _you_ should be prepared! Because I am _going_ to get through to you!”

“You _wish!_”

“_Yes_ I _do! _Nothing wrong with that!”

He jumped backwards as Vaati threw a bolt of dark magic his way, the sudden attack enough time for the demonic prince to call more monsters. These ones were different, though- similar to keese, they were like small round bats… but their faces were just large eyes, all focused on him.

“What, you still need a little help to beat me?”

“It’s not _cheating_ to use _my own eyes_, is it?” His grin was unsettling, enough to knock Octavo off balance as one of the strange eye-bats shot a beam at him. “Now quit your talking! You’re just stalling your own demise!”

“No, I don’t wanna stop talking!”

“Impudent _child_\- what, are you going to start _whining_ and _crying_ in a _battle?_”

“Would it _work?_”

“In letting me kill you? Yes, wonderfully!”

Octavo rolled his eyes as Vaati laughed once more, dodging around some lightning thrown out haphazardly.

“H-Hey, Slain! Was he always like this?! You didn’t tell me about anything like this!”

“I _died_ before he came to power! How was _I_ supposed to know he was this strong?!”

“I-I donno, twin telepathy or some shit like that?”

“_If we had that, I doubt he would’ve killed me!_”

There was no time for arguments, though- they both dodged out of the way of another laser blast, Octavo’s nose twitching at the scent of burnt hair. That’d been _way_ too close for comfort- a bit to the left, and he would’ve lost his head.

“Take out those eyes!”

“I _know_ that, Slain!”

Grimacing, Octavo jumped forwards- the things were damn quick, but eventually he managed to get _one_ of them. His blade pierced right through the center of the eye, it quickly exploding into smoke- and Vaati screamed and gripped at his third eye, doubling over.

“Sh-Shit, sorry Vivi!”

“You _bastard_…”

“Hey, I didn’t know it’d _hurt_ you!”

“_I literally told you that they’re my own damn eyes!_”

“Yeah, well they’re _blasting lasers at me!_”

“Oh, just _shut up and **die!**_”

Octavo couldn’t let himself be slowed, though- he quickly went about dispatching the other eye-bats, trying his best to not let himself get too distressed by Vaati’s pain. It wasn’t easy, and he definitely would have to apologize for it later, but he couldn’t just lie down and die. That wouldn’t help save Vaati, after all.

The fight got a little easier now that the added enemies were out of the way, but it was still hardly _simple_. Vaati was merciless, never stopping his magic attacks and his laughter rang through the throne room every time he managed to land a hit.

“Oh, you _pathetic_ fool. You really won’t stop fighting, even now that your people are being slaughtered…”

“Wh-what?!”

“Did you _not think?_ Oh, wait, you never _do_. My monsters are flooding these tunnels now- your people are dying.”

“No- no, that’s not true! They’re safe, they already evacuated—”

“It was a nice _attempt_. But they’re all going to die.”

Distracted by Vaati’s words, Octavo spun on his heel to look out to the main cavern, for a chance at seeing what his former friend was talking about. However, that was just the chance he’d wanted- Vaati began screeching with laughter as his trick worked, the sound of magic growing louder and louder…

_“NO—!”_

And Octavo blacked out.


	16. A voice's power

Slain didn’t know what he was doing. He’d just seen Octavo turn his back to Vaati, and seen Vaati about to use that to his advantage… which the dead prince simple _could not_ allow. On pure instinct, he’d tried to push Octavo out of the way… but instead his world went dark for a few moments, and he just found himself on the ground.

“Shit, Octavo-”

but when he turned his head to look for his distant reincarnation, he realized that… he wasn’t there. He wasn’t by the window, and he wasn’t dead… and _he had a physical self._ Perhaps only the goddesses would know how, but he’d managed to take possession of the young prince’s body. Unfortunate, but… it did present him with a chance.

“Oh. So, you finally show your face, _brother._” Vaati’s demeanor changed in an instant, leaning back casually. “I was wondering when you’d show your pathetic dreary self. Here to cry and beg for mercy?”

“No.” The force behind his words surprised even himself, but the slain prince was quick to rise. “Brother, I… I am going to talk to you.”

“_Shockingly_, dear Octavo, I do _not_ wish to talk to you.”

“Well, I hardly care- I’ll speak anyways!” He took a step forwards, his face determined and somehow managing to keep his voice level, despite the utter panic he felt in his chest. “I’m not the same person you knew all those years ago! I am no longer the same quiet prince that you _murdered!_”

“Would you just _shut up?_ I don’t mind killing you again, brother.”

“Vaati, enough is _enough!_ Have we not _both_ suffered? Were we not _both_ victims? Why must you hate me for what our father did to you?!”

“Because without _you_, my life would’ve been _happy!_ All of my suffering was _your fault! _Everyone loved the damned _perfect prince,_ you had _everything _that I wanted!”

“_Perfect?_ Don’t make me _laugh_, I was _anything but!_”

“Shut up! Shut _up!_”

“No, brother, I will _not!_” He stepped forwards, continuing to raise his voice. “You blame me for a life I never even _had!_ I was _not_ perfect, brother- I failed at _everything!_ The only talent I ever had was for my garden- the one I _know_ you tried to destroy, but never did.”

“I-I— don’t act like you know anything. You ignored me. You _always_ ignored me!”

“And what of _you?_ You never reached out a hand to me either! Face it brother, we were the _same_\- we _both_ suffered in _silence_, _alone_, all because of that _horrible_ man. And yet, you blame _me_ for _everything?_”

“_Shut up!!_ You ruined_ everything!_ My life was _miserable_ because of you!”

“You hated a person you _didn’t even know!_”

“_SHUT UP!_”

“_No, brother, I will not! I will not be silent!_” The slain prince stood directly in front of the demon king, his face set with determination. “I have a voice, and for the first time in these _countless _years, _I am going to use it!_ I am _not_ going to keep suffering silently- not when I know that _you’ve_ been suffering the _same!_”

“Like you _care._ I’m the demon that _murdered_ you, _you_ just want me to _shut up and die!_”

“You’re _wrong!_” He shook his head, finally staring his brother dead in the eye. “Because even with _everything_ that happened, _you’re still my brother._ Both of us were hurting so badly- can’t you _see_ that? Can’t you see how we _both_ suffered? Can’t you understand that I just want to _help_ you, Vaati? Maybe I’m a fool, to care about the one who killed me- but we should have been _there_ for each other! We could’ve been _friends_, had things been different- it is time for us to _heal_, brother! To stop hurting others just because of our own pain!”

“_Heal? _Don’t make me _laugh!_”

“Just _look_ at us, Vaati- _we don’t belong here anymore!_” He gestured to the bodies they both resided in- the ones that neither of them had any _real_ claim to, not anymore. “Because of _our_ pains, _our_ struggles, these children are hurting too! Look at them- they’re younger than _we_ were, and yet they fight our battles! Do you not see what’s _wrong_ with that?”

“This boy _called upon me!_ It was _his choice_ to become my vessel!”

“And you can make a choice to _stop_ this! To stop the pain, stop the suffering! We need to _move on_, brother. It’s time. Don’t you see that? For so many years now, we've both been chained to this world by our sorrows and pain.. wouldn't you like to be free from that? To finally have a chance at the peace we both deserved?”

“No- No, I—I don’t _want_ to move on! I’ll take this world, by any means necessary!”

“Brother… this world isn’t one we’d recognize anymore, anyways. You know that, don’t you? Too many years have passed… it has changed. Our time is over.”

“Says you!”

“And yet… you aren’t fighting any longer. You’re listening to me, are you not?”

Vaati’s face scrunched up in anger, but he didn’t retaliate- rather, he floated to the ground, arms folded across his chest.

“I just see no fun in killing you for a second time. Not when you’re already dead, and this vessel wants to kill yours.”

“….brother, please. I think… I think it’s time we left.”

“……”

“We deserve our time to rest… I believe that it’s now. So… won’t you join me? It’s time we let the living have their own story once again. Ours ended long ago.”

“………fine.” With a sigh, Vaati just shut his eyes. “I’m bored of this stupid game, anyways. It’s no fun when the players don’t wish to participate properly, and you’re terrible at it.”

“Brother…”

“Oh, cut your saccharine bullshit. It’s just time for us to leave, is all.”

“Yes, of course. Now… let’s go. To the rest that we’ve both earned.”


	17. I don't need anyone

_‘Thank you, Octavo… for helping me speak with my brother. We’re going to be leaving now, so… I leave the rest to you. Good luck.’_

Octavo’s eyes snapped open to those words echoing in his mind, finding himself standing directly in front of Vaati. It seemed as though neither of them had entirely a clue what’d happened- Vaati flew back up into the air as soon as he realized where he was, and Octavo leaped backwards, just in case his friend was planning another attack.

“Wh… what? No- where did- where did he go?!” Vaati was looking around wildly, gripping at his head. “You _bastard—!_ How _dare_ you leave me?! After all those years of suffering, you just _waltz off_ to leave _me _with this _wretched_ soul of ours?!”

It quickly became evident to Octavo what must’ve happened- Slain had left… and Wrath had left with him. Somehow, the two brothers must’ve found peace… which meant it was just Octavo and Vaati now. He’d pray that meant Vaati was a little bit _weaker_\- though he cared a lot for his friend, there was a limit to how many hits he could take.

“Vaati- if _they_ could reach an understanding, don’t you think _we_ could as _well?_”

“Oh, _you shut up!_ I don’t want to hear _anything_ from you!”

“No way- I don’t listen to people who yell at me and tell me what to do. So I’m sure as hell not gonna let you boss me around!”

“You infuriating little _brat!_ Fine then, I’ll just kill you! I don’t _need_ his magic, I’ve got power all my own!!”

And that certainly wasn’t a _lie-_ his wind magic quickly pushed Octavo back, him being forced to dig the sword into the ground to keep himself from sliding further. And he had to quickly remove it after that- because Vaati wasted no time in continuing his assault of magic, blasts of dark energy being thrown by his friend over and over.

“I don’t need you. I don’t need him. I don’t need _anyone!_” Vaati was screaming as he continued to attack, either not noticing that Octavo wasn’t saying anything, or just not _caring_. “I’m fine on my own. I can’t trust _anyone_. But that’s fine! I’m better on my own! I’ll just destroy you, and then everything else in this rotten world! I’ll destroy _everything!_”

“No you _won’t! _I won’t let you do that, Vaati!”

“I don’t give a shit what you think, trash! I’m going to _end you!!_”

“Vaati, why can’t you just _listen_ to me? What _happened_ to you?!”

“As if you could _ever _understand! You live down here in this _shithole_, but even still, you have more than I _ever_ had! You had freedom, people who _loved_ you- and you rubbed that in my face, _knowing_ that I had _nothing!_”

“Th-That’s not—Vaati, that’s not true at all! What are you talking about?!”

“Do you know what it’s _like?!_ To spend _every day of your fucking life locked in your room?_ I was a prisoner in my own fucking palace- _my life was hell!_” Vaati’s barrage of magic only grew stronger, his anger making his attacks more powerful. “My father only looked at me to remind me of what a fucking _failure_ I was! But it’s fine- _because I proved him right! I **am** a monster! I’m the worst monster of them all, and now I’m going to destroy everything! This rotten fucking world can **burn!**”_

“You are _not_ a monster! He was _wrong_ about you, Vaati- he was _wrong!_”

“You look me in the eyes, and try to say that? I applaud your _foolishness_\- but it is only that. Foolishness! Your words will not save you from the death you’ve earned!”

“_I won’t die!_” Octavo was stubborn, that was one thing he knew about himself- he had no intent of letting Vaati boss him around. “And I _won’t _leave you alone! Not when you’re suffering alone- _I won’t leave you alone again! I promise!_”

“You—shut up! Just _shut up!_”

“I’m _sorry_, Vaati! I should’ve helped you _more_, back then, but I was _just a kid! I didn’t know any better!_ If I could go back and change it, I _would_\- but it’s too late for that, so I’m gonna change it _now!_”

“_I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT! SHUT UP!!_”

“You didn’t deserve _any_ of what you went through! You deserved _so much_ better than that! And I know I can’t undo the pain in your heart, but I also know that doing this, doing what you’re doing- it won’t fix things! It won’t help things! It’s just gonna make the pain worse, until it consumes you entirely!”

“_GO AWAY! GO AWAY!! SHUT UP!!!! STOP RUNNING YOUR STUPID FUCKING MOUTH!!!!_”

“No way! This stupid mouth isn’t gonna stop going until you realize I’m not out to get you! _I want to help you, Vaati!_”

“_IF YOU WANT TO HELP, THEN HURRY UP AND **DIE** ALREADY!_”

“No can do!”

It was probably a stupid move- no, he _knew_ it was a stupid move. He knew what he was about to do was beyond reckless and stupid, and his mother would probably have a heart attack if she saw him doing it. But, well- his momma wasn’t around, and he wouldn’t let her tell him what to do anyways!

And so, Octavo ran- he ran right at Vaati, taking a flying leap, and throwing his arms around him, clinging tightly to his friend. The force seemed to be enough to knock Vaati out of the air- the two of them fell to the ground, but even still, Octavo refused to let go.

“_Ow!_ You little _bastard_, let me _go!_”

“_NO!_”

“You little— just _let go_ of me!! Get off me so I can _kill you!!!_”

“I’m not letting go! Not until you _listen_ to me, Vivi!”

“Oh, _shut up!!!_”

“No, I won’t! No, no, _no!_ I don’t_ care_ if you think I’m annoying, I don’t _care_ if you think I’m a stupid brat, I don’t _care_ if you think I’m a spoiled jerk! I’m not letting go, I’m _not_ letting you suffer alone again! I’m not going to give up on my _friend!!!_”

“Octavo…” Vaati’s voice went soft, but only for a moment. “_leave… me… ALONE!!!_”

His magic was powerful- the wind buffeted Octavo and tried to throw him off, but he held on as tightly as he could. Even when Vaati lifted back up into the air, even when it felt like his arms might rip off, he never let go.

“I don’t care what it takes to prove it to you, Vaati, but I’m not giving up on you! I swear it!!”

“Why… why won’t you just leave me alone… I don’t need you, I don’t need _anyone_…”

“Because, Vivi… people aren’t meant to be alone. We aren’t supposed to live like that. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there for you then… so I swear, I’ll be there for you _now_.”

“Octavo… you… you absolute _idiot_…”

Slowly, the winds died down, and the two of them sank back to the floor. It didn’t take much time for Vaati to just… collapse against him, and considering how much his legs felt like gelatin, Octavo just did his best to ensure their fall to the ground was _somewhat_ graceful.

“There there, Vivi… it’s gonna be okay…”

“You _moron_… how could you think that? How could you say that?”

“Because, Vivi… I don’t give up. And neither should you.”


	18. Lifeline

When Vaati finally allowed the blind rage that’d been sustaining him to subside, he found there was nothing else to support him. All there was inside anymore was _sadness_, a well of it so deep he thought he might _drown_\- he began crying, sobbing onto Octavo’s shoulder as he clung to his friend for any semblance of help. Goddesses, he knew he hardly _deserved_ it- but he was a demon, and demons were selfish, so he figured it was okay.

And they stayed like that for a good long time. He just cried for as long as he felt he _could_\- even if he didn’t deserve it, he still found himself crying. Besides… things outside this throne room would be fine. Without Wrath’s support, his armies of monsters would no longer be regenerating… and he couldn’t find it in his heart to care anymore about having the world, either. It’s not like it would make him happy… nothing would. He just wasn’t someone who was allowed to be happy.

“Octavo… _why…?_”

“Because we’re friends, Vaati. Simple as that.”

“You… you absolute _idiot_…”

“You keep sayin' that, Vivi…”

“And yet, you don’t listen.”

“Nope!” He could see Octavo smile, squeezing him a little tighter. “because if I listened, I’d just be letting you go around and hurt yourself and others. I won’t let you do that, Vivi. You deserve better than what you got.”

Yet again, Vaati found himself tearing up. He hated how weak he felt, how easy it was to cry like this- he just… couldn’t stop himself from it. If only he could just stop crying, stop feeling… but he’d always been bad at hiding his emotions. How shameful of him.

“Then… Octavo… would you… do something for me?”

“Huh? What is it, Vivi?”

“My kingdom… it’s going to need a proper ruler. We can reunite both of ours, we can bring back Windhm… I think they’d be happy under your rule.”

“H-Huh? But why not you?”

“Is it not obvious? Just look at me, Octavo.” His body was clearly demonic, as if the third eye wasn’t evidence enough of his inhumanity. “Besides… I need to be sealed away. I’m… I’m not _right_… I’m a sin against nature-“

“Wait, wait, hold on. _Sealed away?_ What are you saying, Vaati?”

“…I’m the demon king. I need to be destroyed… is that not what you have that sword for?”

“What? No, no! there is no way you’re getting _destroyed_. Do you really think I stopped you just for _that?_”

“It’s okay, Octavo. I’m… I’m just happy that I get to be me when I go… I promise I won’t break out of my seal. I’ll stay quietly there.”

“No, no no no, _no_. Absolutely not.”

“What… what are you _talking_ about? C’mon, Octavo… use your head. I’m the _demon king_. I’m the cursed monster that my kingdom has feared for countless generations… do you think I’d just be _welcomed back?_ There’s no way in hell… I’d just be executed, at _best_.”

“I won’t let them do that.”

“How will you _stop_ them?”

“I’ll find a way, just like I stopped you.”

“Idiot… you absolute _idiot…._”

“Yeah, yeah… find a new insult, won’t you Vivi?”

Once again, Vaati found himself crying- he was clinging to his friend, body shaking and trembling from the sobs. He didn’t move until he heard someone approaching, and even then he did little more than lift his head at the sound of a woman’s voice.

“Octavo, _there you ar- YOU!! Get away from my son!_”

Quickly, he did as commanded- Vaati pressed himself up against a wall within the throne room, not feeling quite able to stand on his own, but also not wanting to just lie pathetically on the ground. It was bad enough that his eyes would all be red and his face tearstained, he could at least pretend to have dignity when Octavo’s mother did what the prince didn’t want to do.

“Wait, mom, it’s not what you think- he’s not gonna hurt anyone anymore!”

“You… Octavo, you cannot be serious! Just look at him, he is a _demon—”_

“Look at his _face_, mom! You can _see_ he was _crying-_ what kind of demon would _cry?_”

“Octavo…”

“I’ll take full responsibility for him, I swear. But… he doesn’t need to be locked away inside some stupid sword for all of eternity, he needs someone to _care _for him.”

“He’s a _demon_, not a _dog._ You aren’t asking me for permission to look after a pet right now, Octavo, he is _another person_. And another person who attempted to _destroy our kingdom._”

“Yeah, I know that! But still, what I meant doesn’t change- I’ll look after him! He’s my _friend_, so I’m gonna make sure that things are _better_ for him from now on. I'll make sure to think of a way for him to make up for his mistakes, I promise!”

“…I know I cannot change your mind, and it would be safer for the _both_ of you if I just give my blessing now, rather than you being forced to sneak him around.” The queen sighed, before walking up to Vaati. She picked up the four sword along the way, pointing it at his neck with the sort of harsh coldness on her face that he’d _expected_ to see. “But if you hurt _anyone_, then I will personally see to your death. I will not tolerate _any_ nonsense from you, do you understand?”

“…yes, ma’am.”

“Good.”

Before she could even turn back to Octavo, he’d already rushed right back over to Vaati, pulling him into another hug. Which quickly resulted in Octavo also pulling his mom in, something Vaati wasn’t quite sure how to respond to- but before he could even speak it was over, and he just slumped back down to the floor.

“Octavo… what I said before, though… I can’t rule my kingdom. I think… I really do think it should be you… they’d welcome you with open arms, if you tell them you killed me. I’ll just stay hidden down here, out of sight…”

“Absolutely not. I’m not trading one prison for another- leaving you all alone down here? Not happening.”

“But…”

“No nonsense, Vivi! What I say, goes!”

“Th-That’s just—”

“Listen… I know it’s not going to be easy. It’s gonna be hard, and probably really scary for you. But you won’t be doing it alone. We’ll reunite our kingdoms together, okay? If it’s what you really want, I don’t mind leading… but I’m not gonna abandon you just to do that. Doesn’t every good leader need an advisor by their side?”

“’Tavo…”

“Just trust me. I promise, things are gonna be alright.”


	19. Picking up the pieces

When the time came to leave the underground, Vaati couldn’t help but be… _nervous_. After all, he _knew_ what he’d done- even beyond his crimes as regent, he’d murdered his father, a fact that he figured would’ve probably come to light by now. Regardless of Octavo’s optimism, it would not save him from his fate… without a doubt, he’d get executed.

For the comfort of the people of the underground, he’d been given a cloak- though they wouldn’t recognize his face, it wouldn’t take a _genius_ to figure out that the boy with horns and a third eye was the monster who’d threatened their existence. And to be honest, he’d been quite grateful for it… it was nice to have the option to hide his face, as he, Octavo, and the queen all walked to the capital of the kingdom of winds. Even if he knew he hardly _deserved_ it, he didn't feel it right to walk through his kingdom, showing his face freely.

About partway through the capital, they were met by the captain of the guard- immediately, Vaati felt his heart twist with guilt. He’d ordered Zephyr and his guards to stay within the city, hoping that would prevent them from going out and _helping_ people… to think, he’d so gleefully used the only person in the palace who’d shown him _any_ kindness.

“Y-Your majesty? Prince Octavo? What business have you here? It is not safe for your people-“

“At ease, captain. The demon king has been subdued.”

“What? Do you… do you mean……”

“Unfortunately, I am not dead.” He did not remove his hood, but his voice was clearly recognizable to the captain. “But I… I am no longer intent on my… previous ambitions.”

“My liege…”

“Please, captain, spare me your _pleasantries_. You needn’t pretend any loyalty to me… show your loyalty to Queen Aura and prince Octavo.”

“…I shall lead you to the palace. Please, follow me.”

All of them merely followed in behind the captain, into the castle and then up to Vaati’s own study. It was only in there that he finally removed his hood, although he found he couldn’t look the captain in the eye.

“Well, captain? Did you have something you wished to say?”

“My liege… If you pardon my questioning, what changed your mind from your… _previous aspirations?_”

“…it shouldn’t matter. But… I… I suppose I didn’t want to argue with Octavo any longer. He was just going to get frustrating if I kept trying to ignore him.”

“_Hey!_”

“Regardless, it… hardly matters. I’m… I’m not going to continue. And I’m going to accept whatever is decided to be my fate, as well. I know I’ve done…. horrible things. My people have hurt because of me… not to mention, those in other countries which I so ruthlessly targeted. I understand that I have sinned, and-“

“That’s enough of that!” Octavo just put a hand down on Vaati’s shoulder, shaking his head. “Vaati’s done bad things, but… but because he attacked me in my kingdom, he’s my prisoner now! So you can’t do anything to him without my say. Got it?”

“_O-Octavo, hold on-_“

“Understood, prince Octavo.” Zephyr just bowed his head, a hint of a smile on his face. Vaati couldn’t for the _life_ of him understand why, frustration at his confusion just leading to him frowning. “My liege will have plenty of time to make up for his mistakes, I’m certain.”

“Captain…” He didn’t understand it- why was Zephyr acting so… _kind?_ After all he’d done, he certainly didn’t deserve it. Especially not when he’d used the man to awaken the demon in the first place… he’d understand being _hated_, but not _forgiven_. “W-Well… regardless. All of that aside, I’ll leave it to you three to tell the people of what has happened. Regardless of what my fate is to be, I don’t wish to distress the people with my presence. I think… I think you can all understand why my face may not be _welcomed_.”

And thankfully, that was one thing the others didn’t argue him on- he’d return to his room, while _they_ got things sorted. He’d trust them in that.

* * *

It wasn’t until the sun was going down that anyone entered his room, Vaati lifting his head to see Zephyr slipping in through the door.

“Milord, you’re still up?”

“I’m not your king any longer, Zephyr. You needn’t keep the false pretenses. Speak freely.”

“…Very well.” Despite his expectations, Zephyr walked closer, eventually just sitting down on the edge of the bed. “…I’m glad to see that you’re well, Vaati.”

“Didn’t I say to cut the crap? I don’t need your pity.”

“It’s not pity, Vaati. I’m saying this because it’s the truth.”

He just turned, squinting his eyes. It didn’t… _look_ like Zephyr was lying. But he couldn’t understand _why_ he was being kind… it made no sense.

“_Why?_ I’ve only caused you trouble… you _know_ what I’ve done, don’t you? You _have_ to have figured it out by now.”

“…I suspected it for a long time. Your father, then the captain… the timing was a bit too perfect.” He sighed, shaking his head. “However… I don’t hate you, Vaati. I’m just sorry that I wasn’t able to help you in proper time… that I could never stop what your father was doing.”

“…do not apologize. It was hardly _your_ fault that he was a horrible old bastard.”

“But still, Vaati…”

“I don’t want to hear apologies for something you didn’t even do.”

“Then… at least allow me to make a promise.”

“…Very well. What is it?”

“I promise… that I will help you and prince Octavo make this new Windhm the best kingdom possible. I believe in you both.”

“Z-Zephyr…” he paused for a second, before letting out a huff. “Well, that’s your mistake to make. Don’t blame me if I disappoint you.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t.”

Zephyr was quick to ruffle Vaati’s hair- how he did it so effectively despite his horns was a bit impressive, but Vaati had no time to be impressed. Instead, he stomped a foot indignantly- he was not a _child!_

“S-Stop that!”

“You said you’re not my king anymore… so nope.”

“Y-You— you _idiot!_”

“Oh _please_, Vaati. You can do better than that.”

“Tch.” Scoffing, he turned his head away. He didn’t need three eyes to see that Zephyr was teasing him, pouting about it. “I still find it hard to believe my people would even be _close_ to being able to accept me anywhere _near_ Octavo. Our kingdom was built on a hatred for the demon.”

“Perhaps, but our people also cared for their young king. Knowing what you’re truly like, I believe they’ll be willing to listen.”

“…I cannot understand your insistence on _believing_ in me. I _used_ you, Zephyr. Don’t you understand that?”

“Try all you want, you aren’t going to scare me off. Sorry, Vaati.”

“…”

“Now, Vaati… I believe it’s getting late. It would be best for you to get to bed.”

“….very well. I suppose that… for the time being, I could get to sleep. But… you do, as well. I’m certain it will be a lot of work for you, helping the people of Octavo’s kingdom get used to our kingdom.”

“Of course.” Zephyr stood, smiling as he walked over to the door. “…sleep well, my liege.”

And despite himself… he believed that he would.


	20. Never too late to start again

In the coming weeks, Vaati found things going…. Far better than he would’ve expected. After all, he was the _demon king_\- the one spoken of in all of their kingdom’s lore, in the worst possible way. He was their most hated enemy, someone who was born only to cause them suffering… and yet, his death hadn’t been called for like he’d expected.

Naturally, he knew that Octavo, Zephyr, and Queen Aura had to have done _something_. There was no way in hell that his kingdom would just accept him once again, not with the trouble he’d caused- but he supposed it wasn’t like he would just go out of his way to undermine their efforts, or anything like that. He didn’t want to make it look like they’d been idiots to put their trust in him, after all… even if he was a monster, he didn’t want that.

And, because of that desire to do right by his friends… he found that things went shockingly well. Oh, there were certainly plenty who would look at him with fear or hate, and he’d expected that- but there was a…. honestly rather _shocking_ amount who didn’t seem to fear him, or would at least mask it. He would’ve thought his grotesque appearance would be enough to scare all others away… but apparently not.

Perhaps a small part of it was the brooch that Octavo had given him- he’d found it in a drawer in his room, and against his own initial intentions, he found himself wearing it. Octavo never said anything about it, a fact that Vaati was grateful for- because he knew he would’ve likely tossed the thing out of pure embarrassment for having it be pointed out.

He didn’t even have much time to worry about how the people saw him, though, with how busy things got with the kingdom. Reuniting the kingdoms was apparently not as simple as just saying they wished to do it… but thankfully, Queen Aura was able to help lead them through the process. Vaati had gladly given the position of regent to her, he didn’t want anything to do with the leadership of the country… it still felt like too much that he was even allowed within the castle at all.

Beyond everything that had been expected, too… he found that he had to actually get used to his current form. Without just anger and hate to fuel his movements, he had to get used to normal life once more. At the very least, he wasn’t tall enough for the added height from his horns to give any sort of issue in terms of doorways or movement… but learning to sleep had been something a little… _weird_, and he kept accidentally poking himself in the eye when moving to wipe his forehead, or attempting to brush his hair out of his eyes.

For the drawbacks though, he’d admit- the freedom this form allowed him _was_ nice. He could float in the air without thinking much, and he could still feel his magic, chaotic and dark and _swirling_. Of course he wouldn’t be using it, considering what that would’ve _meant_… but regardless, he would allow himself some sort of pride in his strength.

It was a little fun, too- it let him better manage Octavo, when his friend was getting to be a little bit… _much_.

“Vivi! I need a little help.”

“On what?”

“Uh… it doesn’t matter. Just come with me?”

“No.” Blunt, and to the point- he didn’t trust like that. Not when he had little doubt that Octavo would _absolutely_ try to pull some clever little prank- his friend was more chaotic than he’d ever bargained for, much to Vaati’s eternal exhaustion. “Absolutely not.”

“Oh, come _on!_”

“Not happening, Octavo.”

“Vaati!” He went to grab onto the other teen’s hand, but Vaati quickly flew up out of reach- Octavo couldn’t drag him off into his dumb prank if Vaati was all the way up here! “Oh c’mon, that’s not fair! Get off the ceiling, Vivi!”

“I’m not on the ceiling though, Octavo.”

“_You know what I mean!_”

“Well still…. _nah._ I’m happy here.”

“Vivi, don’t be stubborn!”

“I’m not being stubborn. I’m just not in any mood to deal with whatever childish pranks you’ve cooked up.”

“Ghk- Vivi, I’m _offended_ that you’d think of me in that way!”

“Am I _wrong?_”

“Okay, well, most days no! But today is different, so _get down!_”

Vaati, being the mature and terrifying demon ex-king that he was, decided that the only mature response was to lie out on his back in the air, blowing a raspberry at his friend. It most certainly had the intended effect of getting him riled up, but it also came with consequences he.. _hadn’t_ really thought about.

After all, when he laid out on his back, his cloak hung down _juuuust_ enough for Octavo to jump and grab it- and jump and grab it he did, Vaati letting out an undignified yell as he went crashing to the ground, landing on top of Octavo.

“Y-You idiot! When are you gonna stop grabbing me out of the air?!”

“When it stops getting fun!”

“… you absolute _moron_.”

“Oh, enough of that! C’mon Vivi, it’s time to go!”

It was too late to escape Octavo’s stubbornness, so Vaati didn’t even try- he just allowed himself to be dragged through the castle, all the way to one of the smaller sitting areas. It was completely dark inside, the curtains closed and all light sources were out… Vaati stood stubbornly at the door, not wanting to budge.

“I’m not _stupid_, Octavo. I’m not falling for one of your traps, especially not when it's _this_ obvious.”

“Oh, just _go in_ already!”

With one rough shove, Vaati stumbled in through the door. Octavo quickly slipped inside after, shutting it- and it was only then that the curtains were suddenly drawn open, Vaati shielding his eyes from the sudden burst of light.

_“Surprise!”_

“H-Huh—?!” When he opened his eyes, Octavo, Zephyr, and Queen Aura were all standing in front of him, with a small round cake on one of the tables in the sitting room. “What… what’s going on?”

“I know we’re more than a little late for your birthday, so I hope you don’t mind _too_ much. But Zephyr said you’ve never had any real sort of celebrations for yourself, so I wanted to make you a happy really late birthday/you didn’t destroy the world party cake!”

“O-Octavo…” Vaati looked in surprise, unsure how to take it in. He started with a snicker… then a bit of a giggle… and then he’d burst into full-blown laughter, doubling over and gripping onto his stomach. “Oh! Oh, that’s too much!”

“H-Huh? What is it?”

“Only _you_ would think to do something this… this _weird!_ A ‘_didn’t destroy the world’_ cake?” He wiped tears from his eyes, hardly able to control himself. “Oh, that’s perfect ‘Tavo!”

“Hey, _c’mon!_ I was trying to do something _nice!_”

“And you did, ‘Tavo. But only _you_ would manage to word it in that way. Only you.”

Perhaps he didn’t know the best way to truly express his gratitude, but he truly _was_ thankful. He doubted he’d ever _truly_ understand why his friend wanted to be friends, even with all the trouble that he’d caused… but he did appreciate it.

The cake was simple, but simple was all he needed. It was enough to just be there with friends, with people he felt he could really _trust_, as he finally began his own healing process. It wouldn’t be easy, he had a _lot_ of people to make it up to, a lot of mistakes to better himself from… but he would keep trying. No matter his form or his past… if he desired the change, then even he could make it happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, and there we are! This was another long one- but I'm super happy with how it turned out! Finally, the end of this arc... and some long-awaited happy endings. These particular incarnations of Vaati and Octavo got to reconcile, and finally have a chance to move forwards... and even Wrath and Slain got a chance to wrap things up, something they never had all those years ago.
> 
> We still do actually have a little bit more planned in the land of Windhm, now that the country has been reunited- the final little 'arc' of this AU, we may see Octavo challenging fate yet again... but that's a story for another day. It's amazing to believe we're almost there, though! And as always, Amber, thank you so much for dealing with me while I'm writing this- couldn't do it without you, so forgive me for all the cliffhanger chapter previews?
> 
> Thank you very much for reading!! I really do cherish every comment and kudos, you guys keep me energized and excited to keep writing. Until next time!


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